Aston Villa could have landed a move for Barcelona star Ferran Torres in the winter months, according to reports - but the Villans have been thwarted in their attempts to land the Spaniard.
Although Villa have been strong in the title race, their finishing this season has not been at its best. They lead the way with goals outside the area, but Ollie Watkins hasn't had his best season in front of goal, and although they've added Tammy Abraham to their ranks, more could be needed.
And Torres, who has been described as a 'killer in the box', was on Emery's radar before Barcelona rejected their offer out of hand.
Report: Barcelona 'Reject' Aston Villa Bid For Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres celebrates scoring for Barcelona
Ferran Torres celebrates scoring for Barcelona
The report by Spanish outlet Fichajes states that Barcelona see Torres as 'untouchable' - and that's seen them reject a £69million bid for Torres from Aston Villa.
The bid was thought to be £51million fixed, plus a further £18million in add-ons, which is a huge sum for the Villans, and a huge fee for Barcelona given their financial situation, though their commitment to rejecting the offer shows how highly rated Torres is.
The rejection was 'swift and decisive', leaving Villa in no doubts as to what Barcelona's stance was, and they will instead opt to go with Tammy Abraham and Ollie Watkins for the rest of the campaign.
Donyell Malen joined Roma earlier in the month, whilst wide forward Evann Guessand has not been at his best and he's since joined Crystal Palace on loan. That has left Villa needing a wide forward, which Torres represents, though it could be too little, too late.
Torres, who played for Manchester City for two seasons, joined Barcelona in 2022. His goal tally has slowly increased, with this season's 12 in La Liga being his career-best tally in a league season, and we've only just reached February.